


Not a One Night Stand

by myheroesrbands



Category: Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Family, James "Rhodey" Rhodes-centric, Just a bunch of fluff honestly, M/M, also notice the princess and the frog allusion, but he works a lot, cute fluff, lila is GIFTED, or not really, rhodey is a broke post college adult, this is a mix kind of between mcu and 616, tony is tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-04
Updated: 2020-04-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:25:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23470126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myheroesrbands/pseuds/myheroesrbands
Summary: When James woke up the next morning, he contemplated waking Tony up with a kiss. His lips were just close enough that when he hesitated, he felt Tony’s breath as he said: “Well if you won’t do it, I will.”
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark
Kudos: 48





	Not a One Night Stand

“Order up!” The ding of the bell drew James’s attention away from the bar counter where he was having a conversation with one of the diner’s regular, Tina. Grabbing the three plates from the window and quickly maneuvering his way around the diner to drop off the plates, James looked like a pro at his job (he _had_ been working there for five years, so he might as well had counted as a pro). 

“Another one!” James registered and his body moved to pick the next order from the counter and deliver it to its owner. 

“How’s your love life? You know a young man like yourself shouldn’t be out here single.” James playfully smiled, that shy smile that everyone does when they’re uncomfortable and can’t figure out how to get out of the situation. It felt exactly like Thanksgiving when all of his aunts would ask the same question every second of the waking day. It was infuriating. 

“We’ll see,” he responded with the same thing he always responded with. These women really needed to stop acting as though they had a claim in his love life.

It wasn’t like he was 26 years old working two jobs to try to pay off his student loans. It wasn’t like he was finally trying to move out of his momma’s house. It wasn’t like he had to care for his late sister’s daughter since his momma couldn’t care for her _and_ his father at the same time. 

He had more things to worry about than a stupid love life. Hell, at this rate, he’ll have seen every hallmark film ever made, and he wasn’t mad about that. 

Also, it wasn’t right to say that James hadn’t _tried_ dating. But all of his dating stories were either lame or college romances that never lasted. 

So again, he responded, “We’ll see.”

James usually worked the closing shift at Al’s diner and today was no different. After he wiped down the table, checked that the kitchen was clean, emptied the register and counted the cash, he and Jeanie (his coworker whose name reminded him too much of his sister) left for the night. 

“You got any plans?” She asked while pulling her purse up on her shoulder and opening the umbrella in her hand. The rain had been picking up for the last two hours and right now was definitely a threat to Jeanie’s freshly pressed hair. 

“Not tonight. But unfortunately, I can’t go out and do anything in this weather. You have any plans?” He responded as they walked across the street to her car as they did every closing shift they worked together. 

“Just a night in with Mike. We’re probably just going to throw in a movie and call it a night. We haven’t really seen each other lately since he’s been taking up more shifts at work but it’s fine I guess.” She looked down at her feet as if she were losing confidence in their relationship and James really didn’t want her to feel like that. 

“Hey, I know you two will be fine. Enjoy the night. This is the perfect night for couples to do couple-ey things.” She smiled at him and reached to give him a hug. 

“Good night, James.” 

“Night Jeanie,” he replied. He made sure to not leave until she was halfway down the block, and then he went to walk to the car he was borrowing from his ma and pa. He hated that he had an apartment but not a car, so he had to keep borrowing from his momma and pops. He was so happy that he was so close to finishing off his loans though. This hard-working shit was going to have to hold out for another year, and then he’d be ready to buy a car. 

When he pulled up to the driveway of his parents’ home, he saw that there was a light still on in the living room which would only mean that his momma waited up for him. _Again_. 

“Momma, how many times do I have to tell you. You don’t have to wait up for me?” He said when he saw her sitting in the love seat knitting (a scarf? A hat? He couldn’t tell).

“You know you ain’t _telling_ me anything in this house boy. Don’t matter how old you are. You don’t tell me anything. Ya hear?” He smiled as he kissed her cheek.

“Yes, momma. Is Lila sleep?”

“She is. She wanted to wait for you to get here but I told her you’d be back too late for her to stay up and wait. She missed you.”

James sighed from the kitchen where he was grabbing a glass of water. He looked at the clock on the oven that read eleven o’clock. 

“Yeah it’s too late and it’s a school night. Should I head over to the apartment? Are you good here for tonight and tomorrow morning?” He was walking back into the living area, and he saw Roberta starting to pack up her knitting materials. 

“If you want to but you better be here in time for lunch tomorrow. Your daddy hasn’t seen you in three days. You know how he gets.” James chuckled lightly and walked over again to hug his momma and kiss her cheek.

“Alright, gone get. You gonna leave, let me walk you to the door.”

“Momma you know you don’t have to,” came his concerned reply. Roberta gave him an “if you don’t shut up” look, and he smiled before going to grab his coat he had placed on a chair near the door. 

“Alright now, I better see you tomorrow for lunch and dinner? Lila wants to see you too so you’re gonna have to stop by between your shift. That alright?” 

“Already planned momma. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.”

“I love you, James. Good night.”

James walked _back_ to his momma’s car and got in. He took a quick breather — it had been an incredibly long day — before leaving the driveway and making the thirty-minute drive to his apartment. 

A long day meant that James was just going to hop straight into bed. 

“Hey Alexa, play my sleeping playlist on low.”

And that was the end of his day. 

The next morning, he, like a normal person, woke up at 10 am, realized that if he didn’t _get up_ in the next thirty minutes he would one hundred percent be late for lunch with his parents. So he made his way out of bed and to his shower. Within an hour he was ready to go. He grabbed a backpack and stuffed his cleaned work uniform and a few granola bars in it before he walked out the door. 

When he made it to the ground floor of his building, he noticed it was raining outside because he, like a normal person, sometimes forgets to look outside before he leaves. 

“Fuck,” he sighed and turned right back around and went to grab an umbrella. 

He arrived at his momma’s at eleven forty-five am and parked the car in the driveway. 

Terrence Rhodes was sitting in a chair on the front porch when James started making his way up the stairs. “Hey pops,” he said before embracing his dad. “Long time no see.”

“Yeah well. Three days is a long time for you, son.” His dad smiled when he spoke. James never understood how his dad was always so happy-presenting until he went to college. It takes effort to fake smile — even more effort to present a real one. 

“Alright, I think your momma went in there and made some sandwiches for us. She insisted. You know how she is.” James laughed and made his way inside with his dad following him. 

Luckily, lunch went by quicker than usual and soon enough, Lila Rhodes was returning from school. 

“Uncle Jim!!” He laughed and picked her up in a hug, 

“Hey, kiddo! How was school? How are you?” With an arm around James’s neck, she put her opposite hand on her chin in a faux pondering face. 

“Well! Today we started doing advanced algebra. Of course, it wasn’t that hard but I wished that the teacher would have given me more problems to do. It was fun! Math is fun!”

Lila Rhodes, the smartest 6th grader James had ever known. 

“Well, it looks like I might be able to help around with that homework every once in a while then.”

“Don’t be silly uncle Jim!” He paused and she laughed. “You can help anytime!” 

So that was his family and his day; Spent with his Momma, Pops, and his favorite niece in the entire world. 

There was dinner. Where Lila filled the entire table in on her class progress and how her homework had gone. James talked of his progress with paying off loans. Terrence spoke of a new teen he had hired to work at the family mechanic shop. 

Yeah, okay James complained but his life was pretty cool.

That night, as Lila was put to bed and James left for work again, he was glad that he was where he was in life. 

Tonight, he was working at a café in town (his second job of course). The shift ended at 11 and that would have been fine if the skinny white guy at the door hadn’t shown up two minutes before closing. 

“Can I have a large black with two sugars?” 

Now, James wasn’t one to judge but the only people he knew to drink their coffee black with as little as possible were engineering majors right before a final or project was due. 

“Yeah, that’ll be $3.07.” He rang up the order. 

“And can I add a butter croissant to that too?” James sighed. He didn’t want to seem annoyed, but he was the only person there and there was no one else in the damn café and here comes _this guy._

“Sure. That’ll be 6 dollars even.” The guy’s glasses began to slide down his face and okay when he pushes them back up like _that_ James has no business thinking it’s cute. 

“Here’s your receipt I’ll have that right for you in just a moment.” 

James went to lock one of the café doors and turn off the door lights and then went back to prepare the man’s order. 

“Your order,” he said and the man grabbed his pastry and drink. 

“Is it fine if I stay here until you leave?”

Taking a deep breath before looking up to respond, James wondered why his day was going to be this long. Why. 

“Sure. I won’t be too long.”

An hour later James was ready to leave, and he saw the guy sitting at a table by the doors with his laptop out. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”

The guy grabbed his things and made for the door where James was standing. “Hey, what’s your name guy-that-showed-up-right-before-closing?”

The man blushed and replied, “Tony. I am sorry about that but I had been dying to try the coffee here and now was the only time I could make it.”

 _Okay, James,_ he thought to himself, _keep it cool._

“So are you an engineering student or something?” 

“Getting my Ph.D. from MIT in engineering.” _Ahhh there it was._

“Well I know it’s midnight but do you want a tour of this place I call home?” The guy- Tony, nodded his head and pulled his bag up on his shoulder. 

“My car is right around the corner. I hope you’re not a serial killer or anything because you know now would be the perfect-” he stopped.

Tony was _laughing_. 

“I’m not a serial killer. Just a New York City kid who happened to be in Philly for the time being. Luckily a Friday night, so I hope there’s something happening here.” He wiggled his eyebrows and James smiled before opening the passenger side door to his car. “What a gentleman. Thank you.”

Along the drive around town, James found out that Tony was 24 years old, working on his second Ph.D. at MIT, and was some type of heir to a huge company (James really lived in his own little bubble if he didn’t know what _Stark Industries_ was). 

Two hours later and the two of them ended up in James’s apartment (okay this might be moving too fast but if all James got out of it was sex then that would be fine too).

That’s exactly what happened (god why was he like this). 

When James woke up the next morning, he contemplated waking Tony up with a kiss. His lips were just close enough that when he hesitated, he felt Tony’s breath as he said: “Well if you won’t do it, I will.” 

James smiled before connecting their lips. Maybe last night wouldn’t just be a one night stand.

**Author's Note:**

> HI! This is the first 1k+ fic I've written in over a year (I think?). It's so good and I absolutely enjoyed writing it. This was sent to me as a prompt on cc. I hope you all enjoyed reading this!


End file.
